RIDGEDALE, Mo. – Oklahoma Freedom coaches Cord McCoy and Kody Lostroh are not resting in their laurels despite leading their team to back-to-back event wins.
Instead, McCoy and Lostroh were back to breaking down film earlier this week to try and find areas of improvement for their riders after the team’s victory at Freedom Fest.
The two coaches have known young gun Casey Roberts was mired in an 0-for-8 buckoff streak, but they also believe Roberts is going to be a key piece if the Freedom hope to win the 2022 PBR Team Series Championship.
McCoy and Lostroh were looking over Roberts’ 4.63-second buckoff against Falcon Eddie in Oklahoma City last weekend and felt confident if Roberts did a few things different he could in fact be the first rider to ever conquer Falcon Eddie.
Therefore, when they received Oklahoma’s pen of bulls for its game against the Nashville Stampede, McCoy and Lostroh decided to give their 20-year-old rising star another crack to ride Falcon Eddie despite the bovine athlete’s 12-0 record.
Roberts responded in a big way, hanging on for an 89.5-point ride in what would spearhead Oklahoma (12-8) to a 178.5-175.5 victory over the Stampede (5-14-1) Friday night at Thunder Days at the Thunder Ridge Nature Arena.
The 2022 collegiate national champion’s ride went to a judge’s review before being confirmed, and for a surprisingly high score, and it came with the Freedom trailing 175.5-0. It was the turning point in the game and helped the Freedom extend its win streak to eight in a row.
“With the concept of coaches and PBR Teams, you watch this guy who’s never been on tour before, he got on the exact same bull last week, we go home and study films, we go over the exact same bull, the bull that bucked him off, we say ‘Casey, that’s yours. Let’s do this different.’ Then me and Kody and Casey kind of break it down a little bit and that was the difference in the game.
“The paperwork says that bull is supposed to buck Casey off, and we said, ‘No, that’s not the way it’s going to happen.’”
Roberts explained it was good to finally contribute to Oklahoma’s success after being in such a low spot.
“Definitely was, especially since I’ve been on a dry streak,” Roberts said. “That bull bucked me off last week, so to get back at him felt really good. I came here to ride bulls and I turned my ride streak around.”
Eli Vastbinder then put the Freedom ahead of the Stampede with his 89-point ride on Chanler’s Dream.
Nashville would get two cracks at stealing the victory with Ryan Dirteater, but the 2016 World Finals event winner struggled with an equipment malfunction of his boots and bucked off his initial bull, Blazer (1.24 seconds), and then his re-ride chance against Uncle Gangster (6.4 seconds).
The Freedom’s winning streak is tied for the longest in the league this year with Austin’s previous run of eight in a row.
Coincidentally, Oklahoma and Austin (10-10) square off Saturday night at Thunder Days (8:45 p.m. ET RidePass on Pluto TV).
Every week Oklahoma is getting different contributions from its riders. One weekend it is Derek Kolbaba, Briggs Madsen and Chase Outlaw and then the next it is Vastbinder and Roberts.
“As long as we’re all riding good, we don’t all have to be clicking at the same time,” Roberts said. “Just whatever it takes, it can be anybody at any time.”
McCoy said the depth of the team is starting to shine at the right time, and that is keeping things fun for his riders.
“These guys are having a good time and bull riding is fun,” McCoy said. “They’re enjoying each other, and the funny thing is, over the eight games, of course Kolbaba has just been knocking them down, but every game, somebody else has had to step up and I think they realize the team concept. It could be your turn this week, but also don’t hold your head down low and shake it off because tomorrow it might be the difference that your ride makes. The guys are together, they’re riding good and enjoying it, but man, bull riding is fun. It’s even more fun when you’re winning.”
Oklahoma is up to second in the PBR Team Series standings and trails No. 1 Carolina, who defeated host Missouri (10-10) 264.5-88.75 on Friday night, by one game.
The top two teams at the end of the regular season get a first-round bye for the 2022 PBR Team Series Championship.
“It is important for anybody, but we just got the ball rolling at the right part of the season,” McCoy concluded. “Of course, we want to win the regular season, but I think all of our goals in mind are to win the whole thing. Just keep grinding. It’s one win after another.
“The guys have found a consistent spot and we just want to stay in that.”
SATURDAY GAME SCHEDULE (8:45 p.m. ET)
Nashville (5-14-1, Freedom Fest 0-1) vs. Missouri (10-10, Freedom Fest 0-1)*
Oklahoma (12-8, Freedom Fest 1-0) vs. Austin (10-10, Freedom Fest 0-1)
Texas (8-12, Freedom Fest 1-0) vs. Kansas City (8-12, Freedom Fest 1-0)
Carolina (13-7, Freedom Fest 1-0) vs. Arizona Ridge Riders (Freedom Fest 0-1)
*CBS Game of the Week | Airs Sunday at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on CBS
Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media